White Sox score 7 in 1st, coast to win over Twins

CHICAGO (AP)

The White Sox gave Erik Johnson plenty of offensive support in
the first inning to coast to his first major league victory.

Johnson pitched six scoreless innings, and Chicago scored seven
runs in the opening frame en route to a 12-1 win over the Minnesota
Twins on Monday night.

The White Sox, who had lost six straight and 15 of 17, broke out
of their hitting funk against Liam Hendriks and the Twins. Chicago
scored a season high in runs and posted its biggest margin of
victory this year.

It was a needed boost for the White Sox after they lost four
straight to Cleveland. Chicago manager Robin Ventura even gave
credit to the announced 960 dogs who were in the park for the
team's Dog Day promotion.

''You could say that. It's good, I think, for the lineup to have
a night like this with a lot of guys swinging the bats,'' Ventura
said. ''If we need dogs to show up every night, we'll go ahead and
make that happen.''

Johnson (1-2), whose contract was purchased from Triple-A
Charlotte on Sept. 3, was the beneficiary of the offense. He had
allowed 11 runs - but only five earned - in his two losses. Johnson
blanked the Twins and gave up only four hits. He struck out eight
and walked two.

''It's definitely one to remember,'' Johnson said. ''It's one
under your belt, so now you can take a deep breath and go back to
work. It's nice to have that run support in the first inning.''

After not having led since beating the Tigers 5-1 a week
earlier, the White Sox had six hits in the first. Alejandro De Aza
and Alexei Ramirez both reached base twice and scored in the
inning.

Ramirez went 4 for 4 with his fifth home run and three runs
batted in, and was a triple short of the cycle. Adam Dunn, Dayan
Viciedo and Jordan Danks also homered.

During their skid, the White Sox scored a total of seven runs.
They matched that in the first inning and equaled their
eighth-inning performance against Detroit on July 9 for most runs
scored in a frame this year.

It was the White Sox's highest-scoring first inning since they
had eight runs against Detroit on April 21, 2002.

''It's always nice to get run support like that,'' Johnson said.
''I think for me it was getting that zero in the top of the first.
That kind of set the rhythm for me.''

Hendriks (1-3) didn't come close to a clean first inning. The
rout cut off the momentum the Twins generated with a
come-from-behind victory over playoff-contending Tampa Bay on
Sunday.

After rallying from a three-run deficit one day earlier, the
Twins were routed. Hendriks struggled badly, extending his winless
streak to three starts.

He got only two outs against Chicago and gave up seven runs,
five hits, and three walks in his 10-batter outing.

It marked the first time the Twins allowed that many runs in the
first inning since the opening game of a doubleheader against
Kansas City on July 28, 1997.

''I felt good in the windup. I missed a couple of pitches, got
some weak contact, but after that I couldn't get into a rhythm, I
couldn't get into a flow. That was embarrassing,'' Hendriks said.
''That's the only way to put it. Embarrassing, disappointing. I
don't know what else to say about that one.''

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire was certainly ready to move on,
too.

''We just have to go out and regroup for (Tuesday). Hopefully,
our starting pitcher (Mike Pelfrey) will give us a shot and keep us
in the ballgame. Tonight was just one of those nights,'' Gardenhire
said. ''Their guy threw the ball decent, but we got behind so
quickly we couldn't do anything.''

NOTES: White Sox OF Avisail Garcia wasn't in the lineup for the
second straight day. Garcia's wife, Anakarina, gave birth to the
couple's first child, a daughter named Annarella, on Monday. ...
Dunn said this has been ''another wasted season'' because Chicago
will miss the playoffs. Dunn has never been in the postseason. ...
C Bryan Anderson went 0 for 4 and was the only Chicago starter not
to have a hit. ... Twins SS Pedro Florimon was ejected by home
plate umpire Alfonso Marquez after the seventh inning. Florimon was
still upset about being called out on strikes in the top of the
inning (his third strikeout in three at-bats). He said something to
Marquez as he left his defensive position at the end of the inning.
... Justin Morneau was announced as Minnesota's nominee for the
Roberto Clemente Award, even though he was traded to Pittsburgh at
the end of August. ... Pelfrey (5-12, 5.31) will face Chicago's
Jose Quintana (7-6, 3.56) on Tuesday.

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